" My name is Alpharius, and this is a lie,”
- Alpharius Head Of The Hydra
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" " = talking and speaking
= author's pov
' ' = Thinking
(Meanwhile)= Spick, and pov change
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Chapter 4

Awakening 

Step by step we walked out into the hallway outside the medical bay, or as they called it an apothecary. The halls were much taller and larger than you would think on a ship. They were tall enough that you could have led elephants through.The floor and halls were made of metal with banners, red carpets and candles littered everywhere. Each hallway and part of it was a beautifully, yet haunting work of gothic art.

Everything from the seats to the walls had a gothic architectural style littering the place with imagery of golden skulls, and two-headed eagles. As other men in similar uniforms walked about minding their own business, they worked seemingly making repairs. While men in red robes with glowing eyes and wires coming out of their faces looked down at flashing screens. Their blank uncaring stares were like that of a soulless husk as they spoke in ones and zeroes. Izuku caught peaks at their faces looking just like the servitors expect with a freewill behind their eyes. 

Shaking his head he continued to walk forward. Thankfully most people didn't pay attention to him and Abelard being too busy with their tasks to bother. The two walked through the halls of what they kept saying was a ship, but it looked too big to be any ship he knew of. The halls were littered with the smell of dust, oil, and incense. Arches carved into the wall with giant stone statues with what looked like solid gold inlaid everywhere? Along with stained glass everywhere, was this a ship or a church? 

Izuku saw more people carrying weird rifles like those who guarded the medical bay, standing watch all over. As augmented skulls flew around. He saw other shapes that once resembled humans but whatever they were now unnerved him. Few began to look at them, the several guards, and other crew members stared at him. He hated how so many people were staring at him, and he just wanted to crawl back into the hole that brought him here and back into his mother's loving arms.

“ Come Izuku pay them no mind. The lady awaits.. best not to keep her waiting.” He stopped as Izuku got in front of him, turned around to address the crew, and plainly said, “ The rest of you back to your posts.”

Which they all calmly did almost completely forgetting about the green-haired boy. Few people would ask questions but all the answers they would get is he was most likely a new junior officer, and maybe he was to be Abelard’s replacement. Otherwise the Lord Captain’s plan of keeping the identity of who Izuku truly was a secret worked. 

“... okay.” Izuku replied nervously and started to slightly sink his shoulders down. He reperked back up at the mention of the one that had sent for them, curious he asked, “ This, uhm Lord Captain? Who is she exactly? I’m sorry for not knowing, but can you please tell me how I should address her to not offend her.”

Abelard listened to the shy boy speak, his gothic was rusty. As if he wasn’t quite used to speaking it yet. He stopped walking for a second to listen to ponder his question. He stared at Izuku trying to get an understanding for his motives as the boy crowered deeper into himself under his gaze. For once he didn’t sense someone with either entitlement or with alternative motives. 

Abelard couldn’t remember the last time anyone asked for information with genuine motives. He was beginning to slightly like the boy even more, and reminded him of one of his grandchildren. He smiled and answered, “ Oh, just remember to be polite. Do as she asks, and remember to mind your manners.”

Izuku nodded as they walked into a large area that seemed several floors up on top of several catwalks. As they walked on top of the massive cat walks seeing draw bridges leading to other platforms in between the catwalks. 

Abelard turned in front of an elevator with two guards standing watch in front blocking the way. The two guards wore armor covering their body, and face standing at attention with rifles. They turned to intercept him, but stopped and let Abelard through but immediately stopped Izuku, shoving him back.

“ State your business!” One shouted as they both raised their rifles. 

“ Stand down, he is to come with me to see the Lord Captain.” Abelard stated not expecting this kind of behavior from the guards, and could have sworn they had been voxed to let them pass. “ I could have sworn you were voxed to let us pass ahead of time. Have you not checked your voxs, or are they off?

Abelard’s tone told the men he was displeased and they better have a good reason for displeasing him.

 “ We have had no vox call, Seneschal! Otherwise we would not have acted in such a manner I Assure you sir.”

The two men stood at attention, shaking as Abelard glared at them. It was clear Abelard was a big deal on the ship, how much Izuku didn’t know yet. Even after the explanation Abelard kept his composure as he decided their fates, and at the end sighed.  

“... Take this as a warning to you two. Have your vox casters checked, and make sure this doesn't happen again you hear. Otherwise you two will be patrolling the lower bowels of the ship, am I understood?!” Abelard asked with a raised voice this act of mercy a rarity from a higher up, and necessary to not stress the boy with him anymore. The two men replied with, “ Sir Yes Sir. As they pulled Izuku back onto his feet as the two stepped onto the elevator. Before they reached the top Abelard brushed off his clothes quickly, and spoke softly to Izuku.

“ Just remember to be polite, and remember your manners. She is not to be taken lightly, and demands the utmost respect. Am I understood?”

“ Yes sir.”

“ Good lad.”

As the two reached the top of the elevator they walked out to see massive and luxurious living quarters. Red carpets, hanging chandeliers, trophies on the walls, a marble swimming pool, jewelry, and all manner of expensive objects hung around the living quarters. 

Down the hallway they walked into a large room and on the right was a massive desk in front of a large glass widow. At the large desk sat a white-haired woman with a red mechanical eye drinking wine as she filed away papers. Besides her stood a giant man in armor wearing a helmet carrying a large gun in his hands. 

Izuku stared in awe at the widow behind the woman in the chair, and what he saw was something others back home could have only dreamed of. Behind the women was a sea of black filled with thousands of stars. He heard Abelard clear his throat and saw the others were waiting on him.

“ I am sorry… I was distracted by the widow, and all the stars.” Izuku said, embarrassed as he bowed in apology to the woman and man. The man in armor gave a tsk, but the woman kept her straight face just like Abelard. Then the woman put down her glass and sat up in her seat. The woman was tall, not as tall as Praxis but fairly tall. Her hair was blonde but gray in color, tall in stature as it ended in a neat braid to the side of her face. She wore a white officer’s uniform with a massive fur coat. She wore big black steel-toed leather boots and had a cybernetic crimson eye where her right eye should have been. 

“ I see you have finally joined us.” The woman said her voice gave off an air of experience, klodnge, and near perfection. The mere feeling of her watching him forced Izuku to look at the woman directly addressing him. The stars, and sea of black faded from sight as everything became blurry except for her. The Lord captain’s gaze solely on Izuku, pointed straight at him. Her gaze was like herself,  predatory and oppressive. “ Abelard, well done. However you are not usually late, tell me why that is.”

“ My Lord Captain, it was difficult to get here due to miscommunication with the vox. The officer’s vox didn’t receive their order and halted us for a moment.” His face saltward. “ I dealt with it swiftly to reach you swifty, ma’ad.”

“ I see, carrying on. As for you child, come here. “ She said, with an outstretched finger gesturing towards Izuku in front of the desk, beckoning to the front of it. Izuku nodded, taking step after step his new boots thudding against the metal floor as he got a closer look at the woman before him. He knew he had never met this woman before him, yet she seemed familiar. Abelard followed, close behind as Izuku came to the desk. As he came near, so did the other man who was already inside the room when they arrived. 

Izuku’s fingers nervously twitched as his face grimanced as the giant man got closer to him. Izuku’s nervous movements showed the years of abuse had taken on him, acting more akin to a beaten pup. The contrast between Izuku and Theodora was massive where Izuku possessed the face and baby fat of a child, Thedora’s face appeared as if they were carved from marble. While her hands were casually behind her back, Izuku's were held in front. Everything seemed to show the difference in appearance, attitude, and background between her and Izuku.

Izuku’s feet came over the steps to the desk, making the woman in front seem slightly less taller. He came to a stop right in front as Abelard sat down using a seat from a nearby unused organ, and the giant of a man put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder making him sit down. Izuku hit the small seat with a thud, and Izuku’s face met a slight predatory smile on the woman’s face as the two men moved to her side.  

“  Now then, who are you child?” Theodora asked as she pulled out a piece of parchment with a quill and ink.

“ M-my name is Izuku, Midoriya… I’m sorry Ma'am, I meam Lord Captain can you please tell me who you are, where am I, and how did I get here?” Izuku pleaded to the captain of the ship for any knowledge to put his worries to ease. 

“ You are direct. I approve. But to answer that, introductions are in order. I am Theodora von Valancius Massimo af Scarus.” She then gestured to her sides, “ You have already met Abelard my Seneschal, and this my arch militant Mort. “ She gestured to Abelard, and then to the man she said was Mort. He towered over the woman even with her plume of hair. He was a tower of muscles not as much as Allmight but his height was decent. He wore armor covering his face, head, and chest carrying a massive rifle that was more akin to something from a sci-fi movie. 

“ I see, It is nice to meet you both.” Izuku said as he sat up for a moment. Mort put a hand on his rifle as if to raise it, but Theodora put a hand over his to stop him. As he gave a bow of greeting then sat back down as Mort claimed when Izuku sat back down in his seat.

" Now then Izuku. Tell me where is your home world, and what can you tell me of the people that dwell on it?" Theodora said hoping to get any details to possibly where his world was. If there was the possibility of finding a lost human world she would take it. Izuku seemed slightly confused at her question. He knew he wasn’t dreaming even though he wished he was, but hoped she could get him home either way. 

"... Uh Earth, is it’s name Ma'am or Lord Captain." He repeated the name as Thedora took note of it. She paused, hearing it in her mind the word sounded familiar, the name being related to that of Holy-Terra. She took her mind off it thinking perhaps the colonists renamed their new palent after the original homeworld.

“ Very well the name is unfamiliar, but that is to be expected.Now then can you tell me what system it is in then? Or what planets are near it ?” She asked the boy hoping to get any information she could on where that world was. She knew it was a stretch for his world to have any knowledge of planets near his world. However it didn’t hurt to ask and if they knew better yet that just meant their civilization was better put together making it even more valuable. 

" The solar system I think. We are the third planet from our sun and -” Theodora held a hand up for him to stop. What the boy had said was the solar system and his planet was the third planet from the sun. More similarities were popping up then she liked and was growing slightly anxious. She could tell her subordinates were as well she knew how to end this.

Thedora stepped up from desk as she made her way to a safe in the corner. She inputted the combination and pulled a dataspike from inside the safe. She held it tightly making sure not to drop it as she walked to a nearby device on her desk. Inerting the data spike She pressed the activation rune as it hummed to life projecting a larger than life image in the darkened room.

Abelard, and Mort stared at the image with a sense of awe as their masks of professionalism slipped slightly at the sight before their eyes. Thedoroa had gotten this from a tech priest who sold copies of memories of Holy Terra. An item to be treasured, as the projection showed the Sol system in all of its true beauty. From where they were they could see the crown of mars on the red planet, to the imperial mining world of Mercury, and the industrial world of venus. Lastly she hit a button as the image began to zoom in on the third planet from the sun.

As Theodora hit a button as the image showed holy terra. The projector showed the great homeworld in full-view, frozen in time for their delight. The great homeworld’s image came closer to showing  everything from the five-rusting spires of the highlords to the lion's gate, and the Emperor’s palace. The sight brought all those looking a rare smile to the faces of Abelard, Mort, and Theodora, except for Izuku. He just stared in complexion, and confusion as he slowly reached a hand to trace a piece of land to the east of the Imperial palace. 

The others in the room noticed Izuku and watched silently as Izuku traced his hand over the projection. He traced his hands overy certain parts. While Izuku just stared at the third planet from the sun that was supposed to be his home and yet something was wrong. Earth should have been there, but it wasn't. The thing in its place looked wrong. It was pale and yellow and the seas that had once covered most of the world were gone. Theodora was the first to speak.

" Don't you recognize the throne world?" 

'' It looks familiar... That can't be right."

" Oh then do tell me how so?"

" It's so yellow... And there used to be water there."

Everyone in the room snapped to attention after hearing his words. They didn't speak for a few moments as if soaking the idea in. They Looked at him as if he had said the world was flat. Izuku just kept looking at places where he remembered the sea and finding nothing but droves of cities. ‘What happened!?’ He thought just starring in even more confusion on how and why this happened. The largest mountains were gone and now stood a massive golden palace. 

"... There hasn't been water there for a long, long time… Who are you really?" She said growing serious as she sat there intertwining her hands and thinking. She, like so many others, had heard the legends of Terra once being covered in vast bodies of water, but after so long it was believed to be a myth. She had hoped to have more answers to her question after talking to Izuku, but she only had more questions.

" My name is Izuku Midoriya. I'm from planet Earth, and I.. Shouldn't be here." That was all Izuku could say as he stared at the projection in sadness. All he knew was he shouldn’t be here, and if home had ever existed it was long gone. HIs once beautiful home, his mother, were all gone covered in a yellow haze as if they had never existed.

The air became thick with silence as Theodora removed the data spike causing the projection to fade from view. The once shy, and polite boy was now quiet, and mortified after seeing everything. Theodora decided that would be all for today.

“ I think that will be all for today. Abelard, would you please escort young Izuku here to the room in which he will be staying.” Theodora gave a nod to Abelard saying that they would try again later and she was satisfied with their meeting. Abelard smiled slightly remembering the other times she hadn’t been satisfied and the mess that made, glad this had gone better than those other times. 

“ Very well and where would that be?” The question was really where should we put him? From Abelard’s point of view the boy was even more of enima now then he was before. Was he a guest, or a prisoner was what he was asking.

“ Take him to our high class guest rooms we use for those of our high class passengers. Seeming as we have none now I think that would be more than fitting.” She finished waving her hand dismissing the two to leave.

“ Yes ma’am. Now then let us be off, Izuku” He saluted and then made his way to leave as he helped the tired boy to his feet as they made to leave.

“ Yes… let's. I think I am tired now.” He said as he got to his feet turned to Thedora and bowed. “ Goodbye Lord Captain, it was nice to meet you.” 

As the two left the room Mort went back to stand where he had been, before the two had entered the room. Mort sighed as he whistled to let their eavesdropper know it was time to come in. As Mort sat against the wall the sound of feet came from the opposite hall. A woman entered the room taking a seat, the woman being Idira the Rogue Trader’s psyker who had been listening the entire time.

Thedora picked back up her glass of wine as she addressed Idira, “ Tell me Idira what have your unseen advisors informed you of the little Gynt?”  She asked drinking more of her wine savoring the taste, as it had been aged for one hundred years.

“ They tell me much,” She said smilied maically. 

“ Then by all means tell us,” Mort retorted, prodding at the psyker.

“ In one second they say he speaks the truth, and not once did an ounce of deceit spill past his lips. Yet in this place and time all he said would be a lie.” Idira explained much to the annoyance of Mort who deeply sighed at the riddle she gave for an answer.

“ Oh, for thones sake-” Mort groaned as if to yell at her until Theodora said otherwise.  

“ Enough Mort,” She sighed, rubbing her head with her hands. Idira stood still knowing her lady understood what she meant. She tipped toed forward towards her desk.

“ Was he as interesting as you had hoped for, my lady?” Idira asked nervously. She venerated the shipmistress, but knew better than to risk angering her. She expected the ship mistress to be angry at the thought of investing time, and supplies for a lead of a new possibly undiscovered world to add to her empire.

“ No… He is even more so than I could have hoped for.” She said, giving pause in between her words as she uncarachistly leaned back in her chair lounging in front of her subordinates. Just as Abelard came back. Theodora spoke to him first, “ So then is everything settled?”

 “ Yes ma’am. Fell right asleep on the bed only managing to take his boots off before he collapsed falling asleep.” Abelard recounted as if reliving the days when he looked after his own children. He would be most suited to the task ahead.

“ Good Idira, to answer your question from earlier I am more than happy with how things have transpired,” Thedora says finishing her wine She looked around the room, partially Abelard. To anyone else he would look the embodiment of professional, but she could tell after working for years with him he was nervous. 

She saw his gray-haired brow slightly furrowed along with the one over his mechanical inplant. Theodora looked to the back of the room at the mirror she had placed there to see if anyone that entered that room would try to pull a weapon from behind their back. Looking in the mirror she could see Abelard’s fingers slightly twitching.

“ Abelard? “ She addressed him directly, staring at him intently. 

“ Yes Ma’am?” He said sweating slightly made me even more nervous in this situation. As she put the glass down and got out from her chair standing in front of him. “ I know you wish to ask something of me. Speak then.”

Abelard stood silently pondering on how he wished to word his question. He knew his lady’s plans for the boy and if the pysker’s words were to be believed then she would be a fool to give him up. She wanted to hear his thoughts and he wouldn’t keep her waiting.   

“... My lady I will always do as you ask, but I must ask you to reconsider…” Those were the words coming from his mouth, he knew he was risking much to even voice them. Lesser officers had been executed for less, but what lay ahead for the boy. What she would expect him to one day carry if she chose him. The weight of her empire would break him.

Other parts of his mind spoke once again trying to curb the words flowing from his mouth.’ Maybe in time with training he could prove worthy?’, ‘ Perhaps with his ladyship’s guidance he could become something great?’ He pushed those ideas away when reason poured from his mind, swallowing everything. 

That wouldn’t matter if the boy was unprepared, untrained, and knew nothing of the horrors of the galaxy. Her enemies would sooner or later find out she had chosen a new heir and try to get rid of him just like the other heirs she chose. “ My Lord Captain, I ask for you to reconsider, for how could a boy ignorant of the galaxy and its horror possibly take on your mantle?”

She looked at Abelard, and chuckled at his concern. “ Abelard there will be time for him to grow. You act as if I am going to keel over any day now.” She said walking past him as if she had not a care, but her face straight immediately as she reached her desk. She pulled document after document and spouted each one off. Everyone recognized each of them for they had found what happened to them.

“ Balphus von Valancius, his entire family murdered in the uprising that consumed his world in the opening of the great rift.” Idira winced remembering the day he died. She had telepathically contacted him with her mind. She didn’t know however that at that moment the populace had breached his palace and tore him apart as her mind was connected to his. His screams, and the pain imprinted in her mind still.

“ Silvien von Valancius, servitorsized by the mechanicum.” She had taken over her home after a bloody family feud. She began to rack in a profit and was going well until she scorned the priests of mars. They came for her, and dismantled the empire she had built for herself like a surgeon cutting through cadavers. Thedora made arrangements for supplies from them and her release. The process of un-servitorizering someone is not pleasant and not okay with most Tech-priests. Although no longer a candidate for becoming the Rogue trader she is just happy to have a role onboard away from any of the Tech-priests. 

“ Koreus Von Valancius,” Theodora said, not even mentioning how he died or his fate. Because they all already knew what had happened. Officially to the rest of the Imperium he never existed in the first place. Theodora had gone to great lengths to have any mention of his existence wiped from existence. Hersey was a sin in itself and we eased him from existence because of it. She finished and threw the paper onto an open flame.

She kept going on, and on listing the names of every member of the von valicus family. Every member family member Theodora had spent time, throne, and resources to find. They only found dead or  wretches unworthy of the very blood they possessed. Every pain-staking written detail spoken unnerved even the veteran warriors in the room with her, and every word spoken from her silver tongue like a lash. 

She kept going, and going until she ran out of files of each family member and what happened to them. As she did, she turned away from her retinue grabbing something from her safe, and slammed it with great force onto her desk. It was a glass case, and was cold to the touch. The case was a stasis device where inside time came to a stop, preversing whatever laid inside from time and decay. What laid inside was a singular human eye. 

“ This is all that remains of my heir.. This is all that remains of poor Edelthrad. “ She said, looking down at her boots in shame at seeing what she considered her greatest, and first failure in a great line of them.  Abelard slightly shuddered remembering how they had found poor Edelthrad. Edelthrad had been the one chosen by theodora to be her heir. He had been the first, and the first family member she would find butchered in a long line of dead relatives. They had found very little of Edlethrad that wasn’t mince meat, but the most important missing was his skull. 

“ Does this answer your question, Abelard?” She stared at him, singling him out of everyone else in the room. She starred with cold furry filled eyes as she held her heir’s dismembered eye over her cybernetic one. Like staring into the eye of terror itself as he stared back so too did it. Was as if her, and the former heir were starring there at once judging him.

 ‘What was the point of this act?’ Abelard questioned himself seeing only cruelty, but that had been the whole point. She wanted her point to be entirely clear and for nothing to be misunderstood. To do so cruelty was needed so nothing was misunderstood. 

“ Yes it does Lord Captain..” Abelard bowed to his master having answered her question given earlier. Theodora satisted looked to her retinue seeing if they had any questions. Surprisingly the most quiet one Mort spoke, which would be unusual for the Arch-Militant.

“ What if the kid doesn't agree? Would you like me to post a team outside his quarters, to prevent any wayward attempts to run?” The giant of a man spoke in a clam somewhat regal tone masking his rough accent. 

“ That will not be necessary, Mort. The child will be watched over by those I trust completely. I cannot afford to not play my card close to my chest. “ She turned and sat at her desk picking up the vox-caster and spoke to Mort again before making her call.” Lasty, Mort it is not IF, he will do as I ask. He WILL do as I say. He is a child lost in the void with no idea where, or when his home is. He would require a ship, and mine is the only one allavailbe-”

“ So he would have to shape up, and expand the dynasty if he wanted the funds or manpower to find his home world.” Mort chuckled at his Mistress’s plan. As he chuckled she turned on the vox.” Vox Master Vigdis, inform the Magos to have the psycho-encode device primed and ready for operation in twenty-four hours”

A silence filled the vox until a mechanical voice came over answering,” Acknowledged Lord Captain… What knowledge shall they be imparting, Lord Captain?” The mechanical voice asked through the vox.

“ The basics for any Rogue trader.” She answered as she dismissed her retinue to their assignments. Mort kept watch over his Lord Captain, as Idira went to her quarters to listen to the voices from the warp. Abelard sent out to complete his new task of watching over the child, and meeting the needs of the soon-to-be heir to the rogue trader dynasty.  While another listened on essase dropping on the vox hearing the lord’s captain declaration of imparting such knowledge.   They slammed the vox on the table, breaking the device. They would have to take care of another welp that would think it’s self a Rogue Trader.

They walked away showing the smashed vox on the table, and to it lying away was a glass cylinder. Crystal clear in appearance except for laid within. Swirling purple-essence like lights swirled within. The lights mutated whatever they touched turning blood splatter blue or anything else imaginable. As the decapitated eyeless head of Edelthrad von Valancius forever starred on as chaos energy mutated his forever screaming screaming visage.